Tuesday 31 January 2012

Bon Anniversaire


It's a year to the day that 'Dirty Old Town (and other stories)' went live on Amazon.

Like my children, it's difficult to imagine my life without the collection in it.  Whatever happens from here on in, I think it will remain my favourite of all simply because of what it involved at the time.

I should have learned a lot during the process.  Maybe I have.  Time will tell.

I've certainly realised that writing and the world of books, stories and publication is where I want to spend my 'working life', even though the path has had it's fair share of jagged glass and impure objects to negotiate.

Bare fact - the book has sold 1,327 copies to date.  That's over 3 (3.63) per day.  Imagine that for a short story collection, probably inconceivable before ebooks.  There have been giveaways and tree-book sales, too, making it even more incredible from where I'm sitting. 

It wouldn't have done so well without the help of so many.  Thanks for the reviews, purchases, patience, retweets, links, spreading of the word and all the encouragement along the way.

Sure, at an income of about 20p per copy I'm not rich in money terms and that dream of long writing days remains in the clouds, but I feel very much enriched as an author and as a human being because of this journey.

Last thing, and this may make no sense at all, I realised when searching out a birthday picture that I see Dirty Old Town very much as a girl.  A female book.  Maybe it's the Nigella referrence in the press the other day.  Who knew?  So do your books have different genders?  Let me know.

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